Just a few hours earlier I had a conversation about role of the melody in music in general and in opera in particular. Many would agree it is hard to underestimate, but let's be honest: anyone seeking for exquisite melodies wouldn't most likely find a plenty in modern music. I remember a quote by Giacomo Puccini where he complained that people don't seek for good melodies in opera anymore and for that reason it is at death's door as a genre. All this discussion made me think about Vincenzo Bellini, an outstanding melodist of the early 19th century, whose works even now do not lose their luster – with his immense gift in composing vocal melodies he somewhat compensates for other composers' inattention. Download one of his arias here: I Puritani. Ah! Per sempre, for Voice and Piano.
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